Letter from Project Organizer: At the Heart of the Matter

Mmm...What is it about the aromas from a kitchen, the clanking of plates, and an apron with only the most delightful stains, which conjure up good memories? Kitchens, no matter what size, are the gathering places, places for socialization, and places for memories. For some of us, it is the place for girl talk over a pot of coffee. For others, it is a crazy place, a grand central station, with teens, adults, and toddlers in and out all day. For some, what comes to mind is the sound of fridge doors opening and closing followed by the murmurs and bells of the microwave. For others, it is an everything place. There is a phone, a computer, recipes, bills, to do’s.  Oh my!

They say home is where the heart is, or it is where the hearth is? Well, the kitchen is the heart, the vital organ that keeps it alive and beating.

In August of 2005, nature hit and Katrina came with a wrath and fury unlike anything we had seen before. We saw the good in humanity. We saw loss of life. We saw hands reaching out, and we saw many lose their homes. And, while so many, thankfully, made it out with their lives, there was nothing to which to return. No homes. No kitchens. No physical memories.

I can remember being allowed a maraschino cherry, maybe more than one, after we helped with the cake. It was pineapple upside down cake, I believe. Many of you probably remember it. The kind of thing I learned as an adult that others actually grew up with. Yes, there was a pattern. Pineapples and those cherries, I believe, and there are prunes? Oh my! But there was the process, the traditional, you know.  Standing in Mom’s kitchen when you're too short to do anything (I am still too short...shh! Don’t tell!) and waiting for things you are allowed to do. The first and best step is always licking the batter bowl and spoon. That was the best. And, while chocolate is best, any old sweet batter will do. And then the next treat, perhaps an hour or so later, was the cherries I mentioned. I still need to find out about those prunes. Oh, and I have stories about prunes for another time. Oh yes, my point, the cherries on top, those maraschino cherries out of the jar, were a treat.

Food memories are warm and kind and forgiving. Now I have prunes on my mind and I will have to research this memory. They can also be unnerving and challenging. The first big, big meal for many guests. And for some, just moving beyond boiling water is a great success. But there are always steps. With any recipe, whether from the pages of a book or off the top of your head, there are steps and most often, they need to be followed in order and there is a conclusion--hopefully a completed dish that taste good. And then people eat and everyone tells you how wonderful your dishes are.

What we have gathered here in this cookbook, Soap Fans Recipe Project presents FAN-tastic Recipes, is a collection of personal favorites. We have here, recipes that you grew up with and recipes you created on your own. Many, if not most, submitted recipes that received rave reviews from family and friends. Having had the chance to see a number of them, I am eager to try some. I also love the fact that there are some well-known favorites. Things I have been wanting to make, but did not know how?

By the time you have this unique cookbook in your hand (Spring 2006), many will have forgotten about New Orleans and small towns in Mississippi. There will be new news on the front burners, but many will still be homeless, many will still be rootless. I do not know how long it will take to rebuild New Orleans and other towns, but I know it will be rebuilt.

This is just a small effort to remember and help. We know our proceeds will be but a drop in the bucket towards helping those victimized by Hurricane Katrina.  But the important thing is that we are dropping in the bucket.

Many of us expressed a sense of helplessness as we watched the TV, those fateful days in early September 2005. Advanced technology like television and the internet brought us closer to the horrors, yet rendered us unable to do much. Some prayed. Some sent money.

It is in fact advanced technology that brought our small group together. It is advanced technology that connected soap fans. And something beyond that which led us to each other--yes, our small group of like minds and like intent.

It has been a fun learning and creative process. Each one bringing to the table skills and effort beyond compare. We genuinely enjoy this. It is fun. Good energy. Great creativity. We have greatly appreciated the kind and supportive thoughts and gestures.

And, in a few short months, we are hoping that many will appreciate the fruits of our labor.

Please continue to send those recipes in. Use our online account for submitting. 

Thank you for sharing in our effort to help rebuild and renew. Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Sincerely,

trust the process, project organizer